CAPA WORLD

Kelly is an official CAPA blogger for spring 2018, sharing her story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A Journalism major at University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, she is studying abroad in London this semester.

In this week's post, Kelly recaps her experience at the London Fashion Week Festival in February, her fashion and accessories haul, and what the entire event entailed.

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As I was greeted with a free copy of the big fashion issue of Elle magazine at the entrance of London Fashion Week Festival, I knew I had just experienced what I imagine my own personal entrance to heaven would involve. When asked if I wanted a magazine by a girl wearing an Elle T-shirt, I did a mini jump of joy and yelped "OMG, yes." These are the thrills of magazine journalism lovers.

A snap to remember from the London Fashion Week Festival.

Starting the shopping experience off right, I made my way in. My wallet had no idea what it was in for. My friend and I did a walk around before purchasing anything so as to not end up spending all of our money right away. With 150 British and international brands to explore, we had a lot to chose from and a lot to narrow down.

Claire Shrader is an official CAPA blogger for spring 2018, sharing her story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A Pre-Occupational Therapy major at Mississippi College, she is studying abroad in Buenos Aires this semester.

In this week's post, Claire gets to know her favorite Buenos Aires professor Marlena Reimer better and details Marlena's impactful experiences and social justice work.

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When I first “met” Marlena, it was through a video chat Spanish interview. I was kind of terrified because I wasn’t sure what exactly would happen if I did badly on my Spanish language interview, and it was just a few weeks after Christmas so I was seriously rusty.

Meeting Buenos Aires resident director Marlena Reimer in person!

At the end of the interview, she asked if I had any more questions. Soon after the interview, my brothers enlightened me that that question was about Argentina, CAPA, the study abroad experience that we had literally just been discussing. Did I ask any questions relating to these things? No. I asked her what brought her from her home state of California to Argentina. My brothers mercilessly made fun of me when I told them the details of my interview and my question at the end. But I recognized that her story was one I needed to know even just from that odd little interview, and so I’m so glad I got to sit down with her last week and ask her as many questions as I wanted!

Brandon is an official CAPA blogger for spring 2018, sharing his story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A Political Science major at Clark University, he is studying abroad in Dublin this semester.

In this week's post, Brandon takes us to Lidl and Aldi and shares what it's like to shop for groceries in Dublin.

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I thought that I would take you on a tour to a local supermarket today. Firstly, supermarkets in Ireland are extremely different from those in the United States. Most are about the size of a convenience store in the United States, which was very disconcerting when I went out grocery shopping for the first time. For instance, the closest supermarket to Griffith College is a Tesco. It’s a quick five-minute walk. However, there is a Lidl and Aldi down the street in Rathmines, which is around a 20-minute walk. This is where I go for groceries, as their selection is far larger than the Tesco and they have more products. I have been to both supermarkets, and can say that their prices are nearly identical, but the Lidl has a greater variety of products in my opinion. They are directly across the street from each other, so it does not take any more time to get to one or the other.

Groceries from Aldi.

I cook vegetarian at home, so my groceries may be more or less expensive than what you might buy on a shopping trip in Dublin. However, the above photo shows my groceries that I purchased at Aldi. The total bill for all of these groceries was 25 euros. As you can see, I was able to buy two bunches of bananas, six cans of beans, three peppers, bread, and spinach to name but a few of my groceries.

Jolena is an official CAPA vlogger for spring 2018, sharing her story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A Finance and International Business major at University of Pittsburgh, she is studying abroad in Shanghai this semester.

In this week's post, Jolena talks about taking a sleeper train to Hangzhou, visiting West Lake, and getting a chance to experience Shanghai Fashion Week.

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In this blog post I’ll be describing our CAPA excursion to Hangzhou and attending a Fashion Weekend event in Shanghai!

Two weeks ago, our CAPA group set out on an adventure to Hangzhou. We took the sleeper train which was a really cool experience. The sleeper train is basically broken into sections with six bunks within them. It was something I’d never experienced before, and as cramped as it may sound, a lot of us agreed that we really enjoyed our naps on the train. While you’re on the train there are also snacks, such as fruit and different beverages, being wheeled on carts and sold for a small price. Before long we arrived at the Hangzhou Railway Station and our hotel was conveniently located right next to the station! It was an unfortunate first day due to rain, but we managed to walk to the West Lake and have a brief walk through before we all decided to return to the hotel and stay indoors.

“Connecting Global Cities” is a monthly column written by Colin Speakman, Resident Director for CAPA Shanghai.

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There are times when studying abroad that important global events occur and this provides the opportunity to examine them in a different culture.

 Photo: Shanghai, the world's top cargo port by value from Colin Speakman

In the second half of the 1980s I was teaching International Economics and International Finance at an American university in London—where there were more than 100 nationalities on the campus with a significant percentage of students from the U.S. There were some important events to use as case studies.

Kelly is an official CAPA blogger for spring 2018, sharing her story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A Journalism major at University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, she is studying abroad in London this semester.

In this week's post, Kelly lists 7 coffee shops known for their beverages and instagrammable moments for you to visit and experience in London.

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The land of 10,000 coffee shops tends to be a title I took upon myself to give to the Twin Cities in Minnesota. But I have to say: London has it beat. By far. Endless coffee shops exist here. From Soho and Shoreditch to Covent Garden and Notting Hill, I’m convinced every neighborhood has at least one trendy coffee shop in it. I’d be incredibly surprised to find out that’s not the case. I’ve tried a bunch of them already and have found some must-tries if you’re a coffee fanatic in London. Take a look.

1. Saint Aymes

Unicorn lattes with edible glitter, walls blanketed in flowers and Vogue posters, and chocolate bars covered in gold flakes make up this enchanting cafe. There’s nothing like indulging in a fancy latte in a place that screams an Instagram-worthy aesthetic.

Claire Shrader is an official CAPA blogger for spring 2018, sharing her story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A Pre-Occupational Therapy major at Mississippi College, she is studying abroad in Buenos Aires this semester.

In this week's post, Claire mentions how hearing the language you're familiar with can make you feel at home and explores an American-inspired cafe in Buenos Aires.

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I think I chose the wrong bus the other day, because it dropped me off about two blocks away from the subte whereas last week it left me about three feet away. That kind of thing happens to me every time I get too confident in my city navigating skills, just to keep me humble.

A wall filled with enthusiasm about soccer.

As I walked, I heard the sharp, crisp sounds of the language I grew up with, so different from the warm, musical flow of castellano (Spanish). I half turned around, then kept walking. But something completely outside of my control compelled me: “Are y’all from the United States?” The tall, dark-headed woman in flowy pants laughed as she answered, “England, actually, and South Africa.” I laughed too, “It’s so rare to hear English in the streets I couldn’t help myself!”

Brandon is an official CAPA blogger for spring 2018, sharing his story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A Political Science major at Clark University, he is studying abroad in Dublin this semester.

In this week's post, Brandon brings us along on a CAPA Dublin day trip to the Cliffs of Moher and Galway and shares what happened along the way.

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In this blog post, I will describe an event that happened last week, which was a day trip to Galway and the Cliffs of Moher. There are two such day trips included in the CAPA study abroad program, one being to Belfast and the other being to the Cliffs of Moher and western Ireland. Everything is provided including transportation to and from and scenic tours, but you have to either buy or provide your own lunch. In my opinion, this allows for a greater opportunity to walk about and explore, so I didn’t mind having to go get my own lunch.

At the Cliffs of Moher on a day warm enough to wear a t-shirt.

We started off the trip bright and early at 7:15 in the morning. We all met up at the front gates of Griffith College and were whisked away by an unusually chipper Irish bus driver considering the early hour. He gave us a quick run-down of Irish history and various local landmarks on the drive to the Shannon River, like how the Shannon was used for transcontinental flights by sea planes and pointing out various tower houses and castles lining the highway. A lot of us spent the ride to the Cliffs of Moher napping or eating snacks.

Beyond the opportunity to take academic classes at a local university, complete an internship in a diverse global city with a rich history and explore through My Global City events, our local team shares five reasons to consider fall for your semester abroad in Barcelona.

The application deadline is June 7, so there's still time to apply!

1. IT’S A SEASON OF CELEBRATION. Catalan National Day brings processions to the city in September. Barcelona’s biggest street festival, Festes de la Mercé in honour of the patron saint of the city, Our Lady of Mercy comes next. Prepare for a week of fireworks, decorations, music, a fire run, costumes and parades. Then, a beach festival in Barceloneta. Changing pace, there’s Halloween and All Saints’ Day - together known as the Castanyada. On November 1, people head to cemeteries to pay respect to the dead, sprinkle holy water on graves, leave flowers and pray. If you study abroad in Spain in the fall, you’ll also experience the festivities leading up to the Christmas season.

Kelly is an official CAPA blogger for spring 2018, sharing her story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A Journalism major at University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, she is studying abroad in London this semester.

In this week's post, Kelly ventures out to Shoreditch to see how art plays a big part in the area's appeal and vibrant culture.

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All throughout London, art graces the walls of buildings, fences, and even exists beneath people’s feet as they make their way through the city each day. In East London’s trendsetting Shoreditch neighborhood, there’s no shortage of it. From Banksy’s work to the work of a man who creates tiny masterpieces on people’s hardened gum, art truly remains all over.

Street art in Shoreditch.

For my Postwar British Pop Culture class, we ventured out to Shoreditch to take in all of the art it has to offer. In class, we learned about the area’s street art. We also learned about how the area is transforming with gentrification. As more hipsters move into the area and bring instagrammable coffee shops with them, the area has become more desirable. Rent hikes have forced immigrants who have lived there for years to leave.